i : "BLUEY" 85 



enjoyment of the music. We were never able to 

 discover whether he had a preference for any 

 particular class of music — Wagner or Mendelssohn 

 or ragtime seemed to suit him equally well. 



All birds are more or less observant, and Bluey, 

 being highly developed, noticed most things. Any 

 unusual change in the dress of those he knew was 

 instantly observed and carefully scrutinised ; even 

 a necktie of unusual colour required investigation, 

 while the wearing of a thimble, or a glove, might 

 and usually did arouse suspicion, and he would not 

 venture near the hand thus adorned. Many birds 

 object seriously to any shades of red, but Bluey, so 

 far as we know, had no such prejudices. 



During the summer, when kept in the large 

 wire enclosure, it often happened, through the door 

 being inadvertently left open, that Bluey would 

 get out ; but so tame was he, that after a short fly 

 about the grounds — where the wild birds chased 

 him, according to their usual habit when a cage 

 bird escapes — he would return to any one he knew. 



As summer drew to a close (the end of August) 

 Bluey moulted ; his spots, which were the signs of 

 his youth, disappeared, and in their place came a 

 fine coat of feathers coloured and patterned like the 

 mature Bluebird. The blue on the head and back 

 was at first bright in colour, but as the year waned 

 there appeared rusty edgings to the feathers, 

 and these somewhat marred the beauty of the blue. 

 His throat, breast, and sides were coloured like 

 terra-cotta, which bordered on the white of the 

 under parts. 



Towards the end of autumn we had a severe 



